Lin Wu and Wang Ye chatted aimlessly for a while. When they came back to their senses, they realized that their roommates were all on the phone with their families.
Xia Yang: “Mom, the photo you sent is of a gazelle, but I’m a springbok. Springbok—what’s the difference? I’m beautiful! My jumps are elegant…”
Ren Feiyu: “I checked several times… I didn’t expect it either… Mm… I’ll do my best…”
Li Junchi: “Yeah, it’s an ancient and prestigious horse breed, hahaha… When will you and Dad get your health checkup results?”
Lin Wu retracted his somewhat envious gaze and sent the same message separately to his parents: “My awakening results are out. I’m a jungle wolf.” It was a brief report, nothing more.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he sent the message, his dad called.
“Son! How’s your health these days—” As soon as the call connected, a loud and affectionate voice came through.
Lin Wu didn’t put it on speaker and just held the phone to his ear. “I’m doing fine.”
“Dad saw your message. My results came out as a wolf too—guess it runs in the family, haha! But what kind of wolf is a jungle wolf?”
Lin Wu: “It’s a type of—”
“Ah, who cares what kind it is! My son is the best, and I’m proud of you!”
“…”
“Alright, Dad doesn’t have much else to say. As long as you’re doing well, I’m at ease. Do you have enough money?”
“I do.”
“If you need more, just tell me, okay?”
“Okay.”
Lin Wu knew his dad didn’t put much thought into his words, but this casual concern was wrapped in warmth.
Just a little bit of that warmth was enough to make Lin Wu happy for a long time.
After the call ended, Lin Wu looked out the window.
The snow had stopped, and the world was blanketed in white.
He put away his phone and waited until his 333 brothers finished their calls before suggesting, “Want to go to the track?”
The three of them: “Now?”
“Our species classifications are out. Don’t you want to test your body’s potential?” Lin Wu playfully blinked.
The three exchanged glances.
Not want to? That would make them cowards!
Before, they had to guess their animal traits based on the physical changes they noticed. But now that their classifications were confirmed, they could reverse-engineer their abilities—testing and even developing their potential in a whole new way.
How many hidden but existing changes in their awakened bodies were still waiting to be discovered?
Just thinking about it was exciting!
Like beasts let out of a cage, the four of them dashed out of the dormitory.
The dorm was heated to over 25°C, but outside, it was freezing at -15°C—a 40-degree temperature drop that instantly cleared their minds. Taking a deep breath of the icy air was refreshing and exhilarating.
Lin Wu only realized after stepping out that the snow hadn’t completely stopped. Tiny snowflakes were still drifting down—too fine to see, only noticeable when one landed on his nose with a sudden chill.
The winter sky was slowly clearing, with sunlight about to break through the clouds. Thick snow covered the ground, rooftops, and trees. The weight of the snow bent the branches but also gave the bare trees a fresh, lively charm.
The four of them thought they were the first to rush out after getting their awakening results, but before they even reached the track, they could hear the noise from afar.
When they arrived, they were stunned.
The place was packed.
The fresh snow hadn’t been cleared, turning the entire track and field into a vast white expanse.
Yet, students had naturally divided it into zones: an outer running track for those confident in their speed and an inner field for strength and agility-based students testing their abilities in pairs or small groups.
And then there were the trees.
Lin Wu happened to glance up and nearly jumped in surprise.
A dozen students—who had awakened some unknown species—were gleefully climbing up and down the few trees near the bleachers. Some, apparently overestimating their abilities, weren’t satisfied with just climbing. They grabbed branches and tried to swing from one tree to another.
Then—crack!
The branches snapped crisply, and the bodies tumbled gracefully.
Luckily, the student hadn’t climbed too high, the snow below was thick, and a few innocent classmates managed to cushion the fall at the last moment.
The sky had completely cleared, and sunlight shone down, making the snow-covered ground sparkle.
Lin Wu and the others were fired up by the scene. They immediately started warming up, ready to join this pursuit of higher, faster, and stronger self-discovery.
However, the world is always unpredictable.
“Ow, what the hell—who just hit me with a snowball?!”
Just one sentence.
The air went silent.
Then, chaos erupted.
—On a snowy field, if someone throws the first snowball, everyone automatically understands: the battle has begun.
Is a snowball fight just a fun activity?
No. It’s the Pandora’s box of winter campus life.
The only thing that could even slightly contain this immense energy was the loudspeaker overhead:
“Students on the track field, students on the track field, please do not engage in excessive roughhousing—”
By late December, the school remained under partial restrictions, but classes and activities that had been suspended were gradually resuming.
This wasn’t just a school decision—it was in line with broader societal trends.
Lin Wu followed the news every day and could clearly sense that the overall situation was stabilizing bit by bit.
At the same time, the changes brought by awakening were becoming more evident in every aspect of life—
P.E. Class
Their long-absent P.E. teacher had returned, looking a bit leaner than before the break, but also more energetic.
“Class, like you, I’ve been through a lot during this time, but life moves forward. So today, we’re resuming our lessons…”
“However, the curriculum will be adjusted. After all, everyone’s physical condition has changed quite a bit…”
“Alright, let’s start by dividing into groups based on species classification. If you awakened into a bird species, stand to the left—that’s Group One. Mammals, stand in the center—that’s Group Two. Reptiles, move to the right—that’s Group Three…”
“The grouping has no special meaning. It’s just for easier observation, since students from different classifications might have different needs in physical training…”
Seeing how smoothly the teacher handled this, Lin Wu could tell they must have done a lot of prep work—probably even held special training sessions for all P.E. teachers.
As everyone sorted themselves into groups, Lin Wu found himself looking forward to this new era of P.E. class.
P.E. Teacher: “Alright! Today’s lesson is… a brand-new, awakening-based morning exercise routine!”
Lin Wu: “……”
And so, a semester of chaos and change slowly approached its end.
[Environmental Science Department Group Chat]
Teacher Li: [Important Announcement] Due to the impact of this semester’s events on academic schedules and student learning, the school has decided to cancel final exams. Instead, grades will be based on classroom participation and performance throughout the semester.
[Class 1 Environmental Engineering Group Chat]
Xu Zhenlong, the Campus Legend: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH
Liu Mu, the Idolized Genius: Did you awaken as a prairie dog?
Xu Zhenlong, the Campus Legend: NO EXAMS HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Pang Dongdong, the Straight-Talker: [Disgusted.jpg]
Deng Chacha, the Responsible Class Monitor: Are you sure that basing grades on classroom performance won’t make you fail, Xu Zhenlong?
Xu Zhenlong, the Campus Legend: ……
Sun Yuehan, the Quiet Intellectual: Critical hit.
Lin Wu scrolled through the class chat and, for some reason, thought of another struggling student.
By now, he and Wang Ye didn’t need small talk—they got straight to the point.
Lin Wu: Did you see the school’s announcement?
Wang Ye (instantly replied): Saw it.
Lin Wu: How do you feel?
Wang Ye: [I can’t send a voice message right now because it would expose my uncontrollable joy.jpg]
Lin Wu: ……
Get a grip, man!
Wang Ye: Where are you going for the break?
Lin Wu: Not going anywhere.
Wang Ye: Alright, I’ll come find you then.
Lin Wu: ?
Wang Ye: Aren’t you from Shenyang?
Lin Wu froze. He didn’t remember telling Wang Ye he was local.
Lin Wu: How do you know that?
Wang Ye: Yuan Sijie told me.
Lin Wu: And how does Yuan Sijie know??
Wang Ye: One of your dorm mates said it.
Lin Wu: Which one?
Wang Ye: The… springbok.
Lin Wu: ……
You don’t remember people’s names, but you sure remember their species!
Lin Wu: So, you mean Xia Yang told Yuan Sijie, and Yuan Sijie told you?
Wang Ye: Yeah, any problem?
Lin Wu: Of course! When did Xia Yang and Yuan Sijie even start talking?!
Wang Ye: How would I know? [Sunglasses on, I love no one.jpg]
Wait—hold on. Lin Wu nearly got sidetracked.
Wang Ye’s tone when he said “I’ll come find you”…
Lin Wu: Wait… are you also from Shenyang?
Wang Ye: Yeah. Just stay home, don’t wander around.
Lin Wu: “……”
Where am I even supposed to go?!
Only Wang Ye could make hanging out sound like a debt collection visit.
On the last day before winter break, the second country in the world announced a national awakening census, and other nations followed suit, beginning their own large-scale awakening assessments within their capabilities.
When Lin Wu came across this news, he was the only one left in Room 333.
Xia Yang, Li Junchi, and Ren Feiyu had already boarded their trains home days ago, leaving Lin Wu as the last one in the dorm.
Tomorrow, the dorms would officially close. Except for those who had applied in advance to stay on campus, everyone else had to leave.
Lin Wu had originally planned to apply. Since his freshman year, he had spent both winter and summer breaks alone in Room 333.
After all, there wasn’t much difference between home and 333. In fact, outside of 333, there were other students who stayed on campus, a familiar school environment—it was even a bit warmer, a bit livelier.
But in the end, he didn’t submit the application for this winter break.
Because Wang Ye said he was coming over to visit.
